Weinsteins planning Judy Garland biopic
Weinsteins planning Judy Garland biopic
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/8/05
Weinsteins planning Judy Garland biopic#1
Posted: 2/4/09 at 11:00am
The Weinstein Company has grabbed the film rights to Gerald Clarke’s Judy Garland biography Get Happy.
http://www.totalfilm.com/news/weinsteins-planning-judy-garland-biopic
re: Weinsteins planning Judy Garland biopic#2
Posted: 2/4/09 at 11:10am
I suppose. But we just had "Me and My Shadow" which was really good and won Emmys and Golden Globes on TV.
Plus there's "Rainbow" starring Andrea McArdle from the late '70s.
And so many singer bio-pics lately! Ray, La Vie En Rose, etc., etc.
I'm kinda bio-pic'ed out. But it's Judy, so I'm sorta interested.
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
re: Weinsteins planning Judy Garland biopic#2
Posted: 2/4/09 at 11:13am
I guess the difference is big screen vs. small.
But it'll have a long way to go to beat "Me/Shadows," which I thought was excellent.
Who wants to start the casting game?
re: Weinsteins planning Judy Garland biopic#3
Posted: 2/4/09 at 11:21amI'm going to go out on a limb here and say Judy Davis and Tammy Blanchard. Now, don't shoot me. I betcha they could pull it off quite convincingly. Something tells me they would both nail it.
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
re: Weinsteins planning Judy Garland biopic#4
Posted: 2/4/09 at 11:22am
Ugh. I hated that Gerald Clarke book. All those unnamed mobster sources talking about Judy giving blowjobs while singing Rainbow. Yecch.
And I can't imagine anyone doing Judy better than Judy Davis. She captured the mannerisms without descending into mimicry, plus she had the humor and the humanity.
I can't imagine this being any good.
re: Weinsteins planning Judy Garland biopic#6
Posted: 2/4/09 at 12:23pm
It'll probably be Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. As the older and younger Garland.
And they'll whip it up into a laugh-a-minute comedy ... you know, with a heart.
And a wink.
Oy.
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
re: Weinsteins planning Judy Garland biopic#7
Posted: 2/4/09 at 12:35pm
I wouldn't even want to see Meryl gargling--
Oh never mind...
re: Weinsteins planning Judy Garland biopic#8
Posted: 2/4/09 at 1:47pm
I agree, Judy Davis and Tammy Blanchard gave great performances in "Me and My Shadows." I think that should have been a feature film.
If they do this, they need to go outside the existing Hollywood ladies to find Judy Garland; I don't think anyone is right for it, besides Davis and Blanchard.
re: Weinsteins planning Judy Garland biopic#9
Posted: 2/4/09 at 2:04pm
We need this like we need another bio-pic about Ray Charles or Billie Holliday. Why don't they try a few other legendary ladies?
Ethel Waters (an incredibly fascinating life)
Peggy Lee
Lena Horne (okay, she's still alive and might object for various reasons)
Helen Morgan
Ella Fitzgerald
Betty Hutton (an incredibly fascinating life)
Or the guys:
Nat King Cole
Sammy Davis Jr.
Chet Baker (great role for Leonardo di Caprio or James Franco)
I mean, if we must "bio-pic" then let's get some new interesting names in there.
Not the same old legends. As much as I love 'em, I'm reminded of the old quote from Liza Minnelli whenever she was asked to sing "Over the Rainbow"...
"It's been sung, " she said.
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
re: Weinsteins planning Judy Garland biopic#10
Posted: 2/4/09 at 2:09pm
It reminds me of the line one salty old female jazz singer said when told that Bette Midler was doing a tribute album to Peggy Lee.
"Why? What did Peggy ever do to HER?"
re: Weinsteins planning Judy Garland biopic#11
Posted: 2/4/09 at 2:09pm
I see what you're saying, but, how many people are going to flock to the theatre to see a bio pic about Helen Morgan or Betty Hutton?
If there's a profit to be made, they'll make a bio-pic about the same artist, as long as the studios can cash in.
I'm surprised no one has made a feature film about Lucille Ball. Personally, I'd love to see a bio-pic on Bette Davis and Katherine Hepburn.
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/19/08
re: Weinsteins planning Judy Garland biopic#12
Posted: 2/4/09 at 2:12pmSutton Foster should play Judy. She's a dead ringer for her, IMHO. 10 inches too tall, but Tammy Blanchard is 5'8".
re: Weinsteins planning Judy Garland biopic#13
Posted: 2/4/09 at 2:20pm
"I see what you're saying, but, how many people are going to flock to the theatre to see a bio pic about Helen Morgan or Betty Hutton?"
How many people are going to flock to the theatre to see a bio-pic about Judy Garland? The same people who know Garland probably know who Morgan and Hutton are too. It's not a big crowd anymore, sadly.
The only reason people would go to see it on the big screen is if big names are attached. Otherwise you're looking at "art house" crowds for any of these ladies.
That's why you'll see:
Julia Roberts as Garland
Cameron Diaz as Betty Hutton
Reece Witherspoon as Peggy Lee
Queen Latifah as Ella Fitzgerald
Kate Winslet as Helen Morgan
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
somewhere over the gag reflex#14
Posted: 2/4/09 at 3:53pm
what was this about blowjobs, mobster guys and rainbows? sounds like a leslie gore porn song.
...global warming can manifest itself as heat, cool, precipitation, storms, drought, wind, or any other phenomenon, much like a shapeshifter. -- jim geraghty
pray to st. jude
i'm a sonic reducer
he was the gimmicky sort
fenchurch=mejusthavingfun=magwildwood=mmousefan=bkcollector=bradmajors=somethingtotalkabout: the fenchurch mpd collective
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/19/08
somewhere over the gag reflex#15
Posted: 2/4/09 at 4:43pmI thought Judy Davis was great in that movie too.
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/3/05
somewhere over the gag reflex#16
Posted: 2/4/09 at 5:49pm
"Betty Hutton (an incredibly fascinating life)"
Now, I like the sound of a picture based on her.
Does anyone remember those articles (or were they blogs?) someone posted on here some time back? They had to do with Hutton attending classes at a college, and someone wrote their memories of her. They were great. I wish I had printed them.
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/3/05
somewhere over the gag reflex#17
Posted: 2/4/09 at 5:50pmsorry double post Updated On: 2/4/09 at 05:50 PM
somewhere over the gag reflex#18
Posted: 2/4/09 at 5:56pm
Norn was posting them for a while. They were incredible! I think someone should buy the rights to those blogs and use them as the framework for a Betty Hutton bio pic. They were written by a singer/songwriter (I was unfamiliar with). But I like the idea of having this younger, "edgier" woman who has no idea who Betty is, yet is fascinated by her eccentric, passionate outlook on life, and her glamorous Hollywood-megastar past. It would be a perfect way to draw modern audiences (who likely would share that view) into the story.
EDIT: In any case, it wouldn't be the same old "brick road" we've travelled down before. I know Garland was Dorothy, she sang incredibly, had a terrific sense of humor, and had a tragic life filled with addictions and personal setbacks ... despite entertaining millions with a "golden voice." Been there, done that, seen it, loved it, own it on DVD ... NEXT, please.
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
somewhere over the gag reflex#19
Posted: 2/5/09 at 12:01am
I think for Judy Garland you almost have to use two actresses...or take a young one and age her. Not the other way around because the makeup just wouldn't look convincing...which is bad news for Judy Davis.
Judy Garland just had so much success as a young girl that you have to include that in a bio-film. There's no way to leave out the Wizard of OZ...no way.
"Me and My Shadows" did such a wonderful job and both actresses really did it for me.
I more of a fan of the young Judy, so I perfer Tammy Blanchard.
Judy Garland did change in appearance and voice as she got older and I think that Judy Davis captured that side of her.
However, I do think that Judy Davis looked way too old to be riding in that Trolly for the "Meet Me in St. Louis" Sequence.
somewhere over the gag reflex#20
Posted: 2/5/09 at 3:25amI also loved "Me and my Shadows." Tammy Blanchard looked so much like Judy, it was spooky. Judy Davis was fabulous, and I agree with paljoey- she captured all of Garland's mannerisms and humanity. I would also like to see a bio pic of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. (Mommie Dearest doesn't count!!!)
Open Your Eyes, Hollywood#21
Posted: 2/5/09 at 3:49am
I think I'll have to agree with Besty.
Someone give me just one good biopic of Memphis Minnie and I'll be a happy camper. It could be unlike any other biopic, just because of the subject alone.
And I really do like La Vie En Rose/La Môme, BTW.
But come on Americans, step up to the plate, you have a lot of untapped original material, like Memphis Minnie which would be good for stage and screen!
P.S. Not to mention Reverend Gary Davis!
But Memphis Minnie tops the bill. Circus Woman.
"Come all you folks and start to walk, I'm fixing to start my dozen talk
What you're thinking about ain't on my mind, that stuff you got is the sorriest kind
Now you're a sorry mistreater, robber and a cheater
Slip you in the dozens, your papa and your cousin
Your mama do the lordy lord
Come all of you women's outta be in the can, out on the corner stopping every man,
Hollering "Soap is a nickel and the towel is free, I'm pigmeat, pappy, now who wants me?"
You's a old mistreater, robber and a cheater
Slip you in the dozens, your papa and your cousin
Your mama do the lordy lord
Now the funniest thing I ever seen, tom cat jumping on a sewing machine
Sewing machine run so fast, took 99 stitches in his yas, yas, yas
Now he's a cruel mistreater, robber and a cheater
Slip you in the dozens, your papa and your cousin
Your mama do the lordy lord
Now I'm gonna tell you all about old man Bell, he can't see but he sure can smell
Fish-man passed here the other day, hollering "Hey, pretty mama, I'm going your way"
I know all about your pappy and your mammy,
your big fat sister and your little brother Sammy,
your auntie and your uncle and your ma's and pa's,
they all got drunk and showed their Santa Claus
Now they're all drunken mistreaters, robbers and a cheaters
Slip you in the dozens, your papa and your cousin
Your mama do the lordy lord"
Updated On: 2/5/09 at 03:49 AM
Open Your Eyes, Hollywood#22
Posted: 2/5/09 at 2:41pm
MTVMANN-
Davis herself felt like she was too old for "Trolley Song," but the directors (or producers, I forget) forced her to.
I liked Davis and Blanchard...but when this was announced my first thought was Hilary Swank.
Open Your Eyes, Hollywood#23
Posted: 2/5/09 at 2:47pm
Davis had to do the song because the script had Judy facing her first adult dilemmas in the scene immediately following. If Blanchard had done the number, she would have had to play the scene, and there would be no other graceful moment to switch to Davis. Plus, it would have tipped the balance of the movie to Blanchard not Davis.
Personally, I think they should have switched DURING the number, with a crossfade effect, the way Jerome Robbins does in Gypsy.
Open Your Eyes, Hollywood#24
Posted: 2/5/09 at 3:21pm
Like they finish shooting the number, and Judy suddenly looks 20 years older than when she started it?
It ain't THAT hard a song!
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